What I need to do to become a PA
If you become a Personal Assistant (PA), you will support a person who has care and support needs to live independently in their own home and local community. If this interests you then please see below for more information.
The benefits of working as a PA
Flexibility – you can
- find hours to fit around your other responsibilities
- work for more than one person
Shaping your own career
- the work will be unique to you and the person you are supporting
- no two days are likely to be the same
- opportunities to use your current skills and interests as well as developing new ones
- often better paid than working through an agency
Types of support you may offer as a PA
- personal care – washing, dressing and toileting
- preparing meals and support with eating
- household tasks such as cleaning, laundry or gardening
- paying bills
- leisure and social activities
- shopping
- accessing work or college
- driving someone to wherever they need to go
- participating in hobbies
What you need to know about becoming a PA
Types of support you may offer as a PA 
Terms and conditions of employment
In most cases, you will be recruited and employed by the person you will be supporting. As an employee you will have employment rights, see terms and conditions of employment
If you are a self-employed or directly employed PA please consider the following;
- if you are a self-employed PA you will need a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check We strongly recommend you have an enhanced DBS check. Please note we can support and fund this for you
- you are responsible for checking and sharing with your recruiter if you have the right to work in the UK
- it is strongly recommended that you have Public Liability Insurance in place if you are self-employed. Having this in place will protect you from claims made by someone else (a third party). This could arise from personal injury or property damage to a third party as a result of alleged negligence on your part
- if you are self-employed then you are responsible for providing a written contract of services you will provide with agreed terms and conditions, for example, a communication plan for reporting absence, notice periods and redundancy. A template is available from your public liability insurer
- if you are self-employed then you will need to evidence that you are registered with HMRC for tax purposes
- agree an induction plan with your recruiter
- decide and agree the working hours and times slots that you need
- agree your hourly rate of pay, mileage or expenses
- if you are self-employed you are responsible for providing an invoice
- you can opt in or out of a workplace pension
- you can access any training you may need, and specialist training related to a disability or health condition within reason
You do not necessarily need any qualifications to become a PA as you may have personal lived experience of caring and supporting someone. It is important that you are someone who has the following skills and experience
You can find lots of information about learning and training
You do not necessarily need any qualifications to become a PA as you may have personal lived experience of caring and supporting someone. It is important that you are someone who has the following skills and experience
You can find lots of information about learning and training
Further information, advice and guidance
Skills for Care have resources and information for those employing or hiring a PA and PAs, as well as resources to support people in a PA role.
Inspired to Care is here to help social care by not only promoting the sector to potential candidates but by supporting our hard working providers throughout Leicester City and Leicestershire County. They offer a free service for members which will help with your recruitment and retention challenges.
Independent Living Group (ILG) is a company developed to support individual employers and those that support them. It was initially developed by Mark Bates Ltd (MBL) as a tool to support the direct payment recipients they insured. The ILG has since developed into a stand-alone organisation that support several different initiatives.
Take the short quiz to establish if adult social care is the job for you.
For more information on what it is like to be a PA, please see the video Employing a PA
For further advice and support please email DPSOemploymentsupport@leics.gov.uk 